Deputy Warns of Risk for Thousands of Kazakhstani Truck Drivers in Russia

Kazakh haulers and drivers are facing widespread restrictions in Russia, according to Majilis Deputy Bolatbek Nazhmetdinuly, Orda.kz reports.

In a Facebook post, the deputy said he had received numerous messages from truckers complaining that drivers from Kazakhstan are being added to Russia’s Register of Controlled Persons, which complicates their re-entry into the Russian Federation.

Nazhmetdinuly explained that the issue stems from changes to Russia’s immigration laws that took effect in 2024. Under the new regulations, Kazakh citizens are allowed to stay in Russia for no more than 90 days per year.

This regulation does not take into account the specifics of international road transport. Our drivers are in another country not for personal reasons, but to perform their work duties. However, the new requirements effectively put them in violation of Russian law. Many have already found themselves in this situation. Since time spent in Russia and Belarus is cumulative, even transit through Belarus counts as time spent in Russia, the deputy wrote.

He added that long queues at border crossings — between Belarus and the EU on one side and between Russia and Kazakhstan on the other — also contribute to the problem.

Drivers often have to wait in line for several days. Moreover, Nazhmetdinuly noted that Kazakhstan does not apply the 90-day stay limit imposed on Russian citizens to drivers of international or transit trucks and buses.

The problem is no longer theoretical — law-abiding Kazakh carriers are now effectively subject to restrictions, risking the loss of access to routes through Russia and Belarus. If this continues, we will face a shortage of rolling stock, rising costs, and the displacement of Kazakh companies by Belarusian and Russian carriers, the deputy stated.

He said he had already submitted appeals to Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, who oversees cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), as well as to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nazhmetdinuly also called for the issue to be raised at the Eurasian Economic Commission.

At the end of September, hundreds of trucks were backed up at the Kazakhstan–Russia border, with drivers waiting for days. The congestion was attributed to discrepancies between the two countries’ regulations.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin